Cable.



CABLE.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

T. GORE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1I 1912.

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@www0/aoco NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS GORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CABLE.

To alt whom t may conce/'n Be it known that I, THOMAS Genn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cables, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has particular reference to the drilling of wells, such as oil wells, and the object of my invention is to provide an eflicient cable for this purpose.

It is well known in the art of well drilling that in order to get the best results the drilling tool should be thrown into engagement with the earth with percussive force. In other words the cable should have a certain amount of snap in it, or possess a certain elastic quality, which, as the cable is raised and lowered in the drilling operation, will allow the cable to stretch and rebound, thus giving to the tool the percussive action needed. I-Ieretofore this snap has been given to the tool, in either of two ways first, by using a Manila cable, which of itself possesses sufficient inherent elasticity to produce the desired action, or second, by attaching a length of Manila cable to a steel cable, the piece of fiber cable serving as a cracker so-called for imparting the necessary snap to the action of the tool. Both these methods are objectionablewthe Manila cable wears out too 'apidly and becomes frayed and worn, sometimes to such an extent as to choke up the hole. Again, if water is encountered the liber cable swells up and loses its elasticity, and on account of its natural buoyancy in water a great deal of the force of the stroke is lost. The Manila cracker is open to all the above and other objections and is at best a mere expedient.

My invention ailns to overcome these objections.

To this end the invention consists in using for the body of the cable relatively nonelastic strands possessing the desired strength and wearing qualities, and in interposing between these substantially nonelastic strands, for a portion of their length, a comparatively elastic cushioning material. By reason of this combination I am enabled to use the metallic strands, thus gaining all the strength and durability of the metallic cable, and the use of the cushioning inaterial between the strands gives to the cable Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 1, 1912.

atented Sept. 2, i913.

Serial No. 694,465.

the required degree of elasticity without the attendant disadvantages of the liber cable. rlhe strands, which, indiviilually are preferably made up each of twisted wires (usually steel), are assembled in any snitable fashion, but usually by twisting. The cushioning material and the precise method of its application may vary, but preferably it is in the forni of a fibrous covering applied to the strands. As outlined above the cushioning material is used only for a portion of the length of the cable, so it will be evident that by apportioning the length of the cushioned part to the entire length of the cable, any desired degree. of elasticity may be imparted to a given cable. The ratio of the cushioned or elastic part of the cable to the non-cushioned and substantially nonelastic part Inay `vary, but usually the cushioned part is but a minor fraction of the entire length of the cable.

Another feature of the invention consists in leaving the end portions of the cable plain as in an ordinary cable so that it may be handled with the same facility as an ordinary cable, and in locating the cushioned part intermediate the plain end portions of the cable.

Various other objects and features will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the invention in a preferred einbodiment and also shown it in a particular use, but I would have it understood that various changes may be made in the precise form of the invention and also that it may be used for any purposes to which it may be found adapted, without departing from the true scope of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating the employlnent of the invention in the drilling of a well. F ig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the invention, the cable per 8c. F ig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters have been employed in the several views to indicate like parts.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated.` the strands 5 are each made up of twisted wires (i, and the strands are assembled by twisting in the well known way. These strands extend continuously throughout the length of the cable, and being n'iade of twisted wires, are in themselves substantially non-elastic. In order then to give to the cable the elasticity needed for drilling purposes and at the same time to retain the wearing qualities, durability and strength of the metallic cable, I propose, as before suggested, to interpose cushioning material between the strands for a distance sufficient to impart to the cable the necessary elasticity for a cable of that length. The cushioning material is preferably in the form of a fibrous covering-usually a Manila strand 7 which, as shown, is wound spirally abo-ut each strand of the cable for the predetermined distance. f

The amount of elasticity imparted to the cable is naturally governed by the ratio of the cushioned part to the non-cushioned part of the cable, so it will be evident that by varying the relation of one to the other, any desired elastic quality may be imparted to the cable. F or most practical purposes suficient elasticity is secured by cushioning only a small part of the whole length of cable-a sufficient proportion being usually about one hundred feet of cushioning to every thousand feet of cable. handling, the end portions of the cable are usually left plain and the cushioning is applied intermediate the end portions. Also the cushioning may be applied in one continuous length, substantially as shown, whereby the elasticity will be localized in one part of the cable, or it may be applied at several different portions in the length of the cable. by inserting an elastic core 8, preferably also of manila, in between the cushioned strands, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. rllhe uncushioned part of the cable, may or may not have a core, as found desirable. Preferably, however, a core 9 is provided in this uncushioned part of the cable, which core may be of the type usually employed in an ordinary plain steel cable. The cushioning core 8 is preferably made of greater diameter than the core 9 of the uncushioned part of the rope. The covering of cushioning material is preferably tapered off as indicated at 10, where it meets with the plain or uncovered portions of the strands to avoid an abrupt change in the diameter of the rope.

Fig. 1 shows the invention in the use for which it was particularly designed, in which the well casing is indicated at 11, and the drilling tool, which is suspended on the end of the cable, at 12. It will be noted in this view how the cushioned part of the cable serves an additional function in that it tends to centralize the cable within the casing, thereby assisting in guiding the tool ina Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, 'by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents, 1

For ease in Additional elasticity is gained Y straight line. l/Vhcre, as in most cases, the plain or uncushioned part of the cable is provided with a core and the cushioned part is provided with the so-called cushioning core, the two cores are preferably united at their junction in any suitable fashion, such as by splicing in the regular way.

TWhat is claimed, is:A Y 1. A cable made up of a plurality of continuous relatively non-elastic strands, cushioning material interposed between the several strands for a portion only of the length of the cable intermediate the ends thereof, and the ends being left plain, whereby the end portions of the cable will remain substantially non-elastic and the intermediate portion of the cable will be rendered relatively elastic. Y

2Q A cable comprising a plurality of twisted WireV strands, a covering' of fibrous material applied to the wire strands for a portion of their length, and a core of cushioning material inserted between the strands and extending the length of the covered portions thereof. f

3. In combination, a plurality of metallicl strands assembled into a cable, said strands at the ends of the cable being left plain and uncovered, and a covering of fibrous mate-V rial applied to the strands for a portion of the length of the cable intermediate the plain ends thereof.

el. In a cable, the combination with a pli i'ality of continuous relatively non-elastic strands, and a core about which said strands are twisted, of a cushioning medium interposed between the strands for a portion only v of their length, and a core of cushioning` material inserted in between tliecushioned por-v tions of the strands and of relatively greater diameter than the normal core of the cable.

5. A cable Ycomprising a plurality ,ofY

twisted relatively non-elastic strands, and a covering of cushioning material applied to the several strands for a portion only of the length of the cable intermediate the ends of the cable, the strands at the end portions of the cable being thus left Vbare and the cushioning material surrounding the strands being tapered off i'raduallyV to meet with the bare end portions of the cable.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New Yo-rk this 27thV day of April A. D. 1912. Y

THOMAS GORE.

Witnesses:

LAURA E. SMITH, Y PHILIP S. MOLEAN.

Washington, D. C. 

